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DeRozan has a chance ‘to go to the next level’ with Spurs, Carter says

As loquacious as Vince Carter has become — and there’s every sign he will become a top-notch television analyst if his NBA playing career ever comes to an end — he was at a momentary loss for words trying to discuss the franchise-altering dismissal of DeMar DeRozan from the Toronto Raptors.

Vince Carter, being defended by Toronto’s Kyle Lowry last season, says DeMar DeRozan has the right to be disappointed but added the Raptors jumped at what they saw as an opportunity. (Richard Lautens / Toronto Star)

Few know it’s that simple better than Carter, who at least shares with DeRozan the mantle of “best Raptor ever” and whose own exit from Toronto remains one of the more polarizing moments in franchise history.

And as he elaborated on the DeRozan deal, the perception of it around the league and what it might mean to both player and franchise, Carter hit on some very salient points.

“GMs, even owners, have different views of the team, the city, the players,” said Carter, who was chatting with reporters because his broadcasting career takes another step next week when he joins Fox Sports’ coverage of the NBA’s junior world championship in Florida.

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“We all look at it like DeMar has done so many great things — which he has — and he deserves to finish his career there, particularly if he wants to and we all know he did. It’s just one of those things where the organization, I think they saw it different. They wanted to take advantage of an opportunity and who knows if it works or not.

“If it works, I think everybody forgets about it; if it doesn’t, then it blows up in their face. I think that’s how these things work and it’s a difficult situation in the bigger picture.”

Carter, the NBA’s oldest player at 41, is about to enter an astonishing 21st season in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks, his eighth team. He sees the opportunity that awaits DeRozan, who shattered basically every significant record Carter had set in his seven-plus seasons in Toronto.

“As hurt as he is — and he should be and he’s allowed to be — it’s another awesome opportunity for him because it’s not all the time when a situation happens like this where a player is traded to a situation like what DeMar is walking into,” Carter said.

“We’ve seen what (San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich) has done with players throughout his career and I think it’s an unbelievable opportunity for DeMar to go to the next level.”

Carter will call games next week in the NBA’s inaugural world championship for club teams of 13- and 14-year-olds that includes a girls team from Welland, Ont., and a boys team from Brampton, in a 32-team tournament that’s akin to baseball’s Little League World Series.

Already with extensive experience as a reporter/analyst during last spring’s NBA playoffs and final, appearances on the acclaimed daily podcast The Jump and as a summer league broadcaster with NBA TV, Carter signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Hawks in part because of its proximity to both the Turner and NBA-TV facilities. He won’t say for certain this will be his last season as a player — “I still enjoy the game, still work at the game, there’s a love, it’s tough to walk away” — but there’s no doubt what he sees as his next career.

“I enjoy coaching the game but I don’t want to be a coach. I think this is another way you can coach the game but to a different crowd,” he said. “I get to do that every game, every night for a couple of hours. That’s a way to be a head coach without having the head coaching position.”

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